Complaint Details

Status	:	Closed
Complaint No	:	0088097/2016
Category	:	Others
Date	:	17-12-2016
Subject Line	:	Derogatory speech and damage or property
Complainant	:	Siva
Address	:	Perambur
Complainee	:	Essar Petrol Pump
Address	:

Complaint Details
I had visited ESSAR petrol filling pump at Perambur High Road on 14th December 2016, Wednesday, around 20:00 hrs. After filling petrol for my two-wheeler, I went to avail the air filing facility provided at the premises. The staff carrying out air filling process (I couldn’t mention his name because he was not wearing an identity card or badge kind of thing), took a long time to fill air and he had by some wrong process sucked out the air from front wheel instead of filling it. Meanwhile, a quarrel was going on in the pump when I approached for air filling. The air filling staff, instead of doing his duty had diverted his mind to eavesdrop the quarrel and reversibly emptied the air in the wheel instead of filling it and claimed that something is wrong with the vehicle. I, with all due respect (in regional language) asked him how I could take back the vehicle without air for a pretty long distance. But he, instead of giving an apology for his mistake, he shouted at me (in a derogatory way and in a disrespectful local language) to cover up his fault. Still, I didn’t mind his anger as he is serving number of customers a day and might be out of temper and I just asked him to replace the cap of the air nostril which he had removed from my two-wheeler’s front wheel, which is his very basic duty. But for that he screamed at me again, as if I am asking some undue favour from him and thrown that plastic cap vehemently somewhere far, in a gesture of expressing his anger towards me. To the reach of my knowledge, however trivial in value a thing may be, no person has a right to damage or throw away other’s things or property without the owner’s concern.
So, I took the issue to the owner (presumably the owner as he was in the office chair) of the pump sitting in his room and I had to find a remedy for the defamation caused to me, because of the ruthless behaviour of their staff, simply for no reason. He was attending to a previous ruffle related to another customer, (it seems it is a regular practice in that pump) who was complaining of a similar issue. I had been waiting patiently and reported my complaint to the owner. He sent a lady (seems to be a senior staff or supervisor) to find the fact. Again on her presence also, he started screaming and shouting at me and said I am blabbering without meaning and the management should ignore what I am saying. He also used unparliamentary words in between his screams towards me. Also his face become so furious and he got ready to attack me physically, as I had taken the issue to his management. I had been a, practicing martial art cadet, before a decade or so and I could easily smell a person getting ready to attack and we have been trained for that. I could have also retaliated for my self-defence, but I did not do so, as I had visited their business premises just for a petty business and I felt that it is the legal commitment of the management to provide me a remedy for the loss I have incurred because of their employee.
Again I went back with that lady and repeated my complaint to the owner, and I just demanded an apology from their staff for his ruthless behaviour. But the business management was not willing to do even that small remedy for the defamation and mental agony caused to me within their business premises which has been caused purely because of their employee who is acting on their behalf. They are trying to protect their staff without realizing the mental agony caused to a valuable consumer because of their employee’s irresponsible behaviour, only just because that he is their staff.
Meanwhile, when I had been to the owner’s room which is few yards away from the air filling spot, that person had violently dragged my two wheeler (which had been fork locked)without acquiring my permission and pushed it upon an iron post which was to the left side of my vehicle. Because of that violent mishandling of my two-wheeler, my vehicle’s light switch got damaged and it is not glowing on long focus now. Also my kick starter’s rubber casing had fully torn out and my left side foot rest is also damaged. Just for asking to replace a small cap on my wheel’s nostril which is worth a rupee or two that person has caused a damage estimating few hundred rupees to my vehicle.
Business people should understand one thing, we consumers visit their business premises to give them money and acquire their goods or services. Customers are the building block of any business. A customer should get some minimum regards for being a customer to their business and it is our right too. But instead, if we being threatened to be attacked and/or our property being manhandled and damaged for visiting their business premises means, what sort of consumer satisfaction we can expect from these business people. I had also explained to the owner that I am a consumer activist and blogger spreading consumer awareness. But still, he did not respond and/or remedied me. If for a person like me with good consumer awareness not able to get the right remedy for the inferior quality of service added with defamation, what would be the status of people without consumer awareness? They always have to be in a repression for the ill treatment they receive from these service providers.
One more point in this connection. I am not a resident of the close neighbourhood to that petrol pump. I come from a little far off distance just for the purpose of filling petrol at this pump, because it is a newly established petrol pump and the ambience and the words of commitment mentioned in their hoarding etc., are highly pleasing. In a good faith that they would keep up their promises, I started visiting this place. Right from my very first visit, the air filling person mentioned above, do not use to behave properly and he use to address consumers in a rough way. But still I did not mind that and excused him several times and also I used to greet him with “Thank you”, whenever I had utilized his service, but this time he had crossed all his limits and gone to a violent extent which could not be excused at all. This is a newly established business which has no lengthy reputation. At this tender stage itself, if they behave so uncaringly towards their consumers, means, what happens if they well establish once?
Always, I strive to be an understanding and friendly consumer, but at times we are forced to represent our issues to establish our very basic right and to protect our self esteem.

Replies